Casino-based economies could decline, official warns

The chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission on Tuesday warned tribal leaders against becoming too dependent on casino-based economies.

"That casino may not be around forever," said Montie Deer, a former Sedgwick County District Court judge chosen by President Clinton to oversee Indian gaming.

"As states become desperate for revenue, many are likely to turn to expanded forms of gambling. That's sure to hurt the tribal casinos," he said, noting that few tribal casinos are near big cities.

A sizable percentage of the casinos' current customers, he said, will keep their business closer to home if given the chance.

Deer, who now lives and works in Washington, D.C., addressed about 50 tribal leaders and Haskell Indian Nations University officials at a conference on the future of Indian gaming. The conference was at the Lawrence Holidome and the university campus.

To diversify their economies, tribal leaders were urged by Deer to commit a portion of their gaming revenues to state-of-the-art schools and college scholarships.